Tinder was a paradigm shift. It’s success around 2015 started to flip public perception of online dating. Suddenly it was for all kinds of young people that were looking for the convenience of profile matching. A rising tide lifts all boats so legacy platforms shared in the popularity, also getting runoff from the non-target audience of the newer apps. The change in perception of online dating allowed people to appreciate its pragmatism. We’re in an age of busy people optimizing their lives. The structure and accessibility of online dating just fits with those kinds of people.
Because it’s the same kind of tired “I knew it all along” comment that’s under every depressing post like this - a comment that simultaneously undervalues both deep analysis and scientific rigor in service of a cheap, emotional moment of superiority over those who “haven’t figured it out yet”.